Lab Mice
by webidolchiu94
Summary: AU. There may be a reason why GLaDos can't hear Chell. And the Black Mesa Incident has another outcome. Starring many main character OCs, detailing the events of "Take Your Daughter to Work Day". Don't worry, a lot of them get to die, thanks to GLaDos.
1. Prologue: Day0001

**Day000_1**

...

Startup_

systems check in progress...

All systems clear_

Memory unimpaired from last unprecedented shutdown_

Extra cores operational_

Beginning journal now_

Researcher's notes:

Dr. Flynn has reccomended I take up a small, independent experiment of my very own design. I agree with his advice, so I have devised a plan with many independent variables to consider.

All test subjects are moving into position as planned. Each has been individually evaluated, and several seem promising. Many of them have IQs exceeding the normal range for humans, so their results could very well be the opposite of what I initially hypothesized. Only an insignificant few worry me, considering the bias of them currently taking medication for an organic abnormailty, but I have factored in the effects of that already.

For those who finish the rounds of testing, fresh cake will be baked effective immediately. But for those who fail...well, let's not fret over what will happen to them. I do admit, however, with some regret that it is such a shame that such fine minds may be wasted._


	2. Chapter 1: Stepbrothers

**Day000_1.5**

It was always colder than Death in the main AI chamber, he decided. Douglas Rattman scrolled swiftly down the lines of code displayed on his workstation. Probably for the third time he checked the commands for the latest personality core, and shook his head gravely. It was the fourth one they'd installed and it only had inhibited her homicidal tendencies by a miniscule amount. The only option they had was to install two, maybe one more core at the least.

He checked his wristwatch briefly. It was about 4:30 in the afternoon, and it was just about time for his special guests to arrive. Sasha had made him promise to have them visit the lab at least once, and despite how busy he was, Doug still worried.

Behind him, two doors slid open almost inaudibly to reveal three people.

"Is this 'er?" said a voice. The accent was obviously Bristol in origin, and came from one the first two to enter the room. It was a teenager with short brown hair and large spectacles. His bright blue eyes had roamed the room and settled on the delicate piece of equipment at its dead center. GLaDos, of course.

Behind him an unmistakably American accent, definitely Midwestern, answered him.

"Don't be stupid, of course it is."

The teenager that this comment originated from was a bit taller than the first, but had jet back hair and cold, blue-grey eyes. Like he could freeze you solid with one icy look.

"Wilson..." warned Rattman, staring at his son.

Immediately Wilson frowned and gave him the look most rebellious teenagers give authority. It was something along the lines of disdain and fake remorse.

"Sorry," he said, not meaning it in the least.

"Haha," laughed the man behind them, "it's okay, Rattman, boys will be boys." He laid his hands on the teenagers' shoulders and laughed again. Like Rattman, he wore a lab coat and had been the one to escort the boys to the room. Smiling broadly, Dr. Marshall Flynn walked them to a spot right beneath the dormant AI and gestured toward her. "So boys," he winked, "what d'you think of GLaDos?"

"She's okay." Wilson stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed. He looked away, bored already. His attention span wasn't very long, and he knew already that despite how many vending machines he had hacked into, his knowledge wouldn't even scratch the surface of the complex algorithms and programs that were even capable of creating artificial consciousness.

"I think she's wonderful," contradicted the other boy. Ever since they walked in, his eyes had never left her. Wheatly Arlington was dumber than a sack of bricks most of the time, but he knew something impressive when he saw it.

To that Dr. Flynn guffawed once more and pat him on the back approvingly. "Wonderful, eh?" The doctor's elbow nudged him playfully in the rib. "Sounds like _someone_ has a crush. "

Overacting by far, Wilson rolled his eyes then made a face like he was eating garbage. "In love with a computer," he said. "Typical Wheatly."

Wheatly's face, of course, was suddenly the color of Pepto-Bismol. "I-I uh," he stammered. "D-don't...Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

"No other girl would be able to stand your idiocy," explained Wilson as he pointed to GLaDos."I doubt even** she **would like you."

Being called an idiot was a hot-button for anyone, but especially Wheatly.

"Hey!" he looked his stepbrother up and down and glared. If he concentrated hard enough he probably could have come up with a better comeback. "As if _you're_ the one who holds the numbers?" In this case it was good enough for Wheatly, though, because he truly never did see his brother go out with many, if any, girls.

"Oh, limey's got bite~" said Wilson, not bothering to disguise the sarcasm. He held up his hands and held a mocking grin just to irritate the likes of Wheatly.

"Boys!" warned Doug once again.

"He started it dad..." Wheatly complained. Wilson shrugged and gave his best 'you lose' victory smile.

But Dr. Flynn was on to bigger and better things. He jabbed his thumb at the AI. "Hey, we're about to switch it on, Doug." He turned to the teens and smiled again. "You boys want to watch?"

Wilson shrugged. "Sure."

On the other hand, Wheatly's eyes sparkled. "Definitely!" he yelled.

And at that Rattman quickly ushered them away from the AI. "You boys should stand behind the safety glass," he suggested, looking around with anxiety on his face.

Both gave him a look that was a definite "But why?" on each of their parts. Wheatly's eyes were blinking in confusion as his mouth hung open about to ask the question, while his brother merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"She's, sort of...homicidal," admitted Dr. Flynn.

"What?" asked Wilson. He was about to object to staying there, but no one paid any mind. Especially not Dr. Flynn. He was busy getting everyone into place to power up the homicidal narcissist that they had hoped to change.

Too bad they didn't have a chance in hell of that happening.

"Ok, everybody clear, we're going to start her up again," continued Dr. Flynn. He was going from station to station, chacking things off, and speakign to various others while the Doug and his boys watched on. "We've added a few personality spheres, so she probably won't try to kill us at all this time."

"Probably?" muttered Wilson, fearing the worst. He was biting his lip and tapping his fingers on his thigh, watching the AI. After about forty-five seconds there was a soft whirring as there was a small announcement from the speakers overhead: _Power-up initiating._

There was a single ominous metallic creak, and then Dr. Flynn walked over to the AI, right beneath her, actually. She often would start trying to kill them from the second she rebooted, but today nothing was happening so he decided it was safe enough to approach.

"Hello there GLaDos, how are you feeling?" his tone was cordial enough, and he tried to look friendly but in the back of his mind the doctor knew she was planning something.

A voice, not unlike one you would hear from a speech-to-text program, suddenly echoed around the humans. "Thank you for asking Dr. Flynn," responded GlaDos. For now she was beign polite, which was a very good sign. "I'm feeling pretty good, actually. How's the arm?"

He noticed she couldn't help but mention that. Last time she had injured his right arm, and it was much better than it was. "_Funny_," he said, playing along, "but I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

And then her voice became lower, darker. "The sad thing is, I've got so many ideas in my head; tons upon tons of plans to kill you, but no means to do so." If she were human, it's a good bet that a sickeningly evil grim would have curled across her lips at that moment. But sadly, she hung over them, bound by wires and restraints much like a criminal detained by shackles, chains, and even handcuffs for good measure…

"That doesn't sound good," Rattman said in a quiet voice. He exchanged a glance with Dr. Flynn, who gave him a worried nod.

"Maybe you could try thinking about something else?" asked the doctor with some optimism.

GLaDos processed this for about two picoseconds. For the humans her response seemed instantaneous. In reality, she had thought about something else, but for some reason she figuratively thirsted for blood.

"Nope, I still want to kill you," she told them happily about the prospect. "But don't worry, I can't seem to choose one plan in particular, they're all brilliant of course. Anyways—,"

"Hey!"

Everyone froze and looked to Wheatly. What on** Earth** was he doing? GLaDos stared down at him, summing him up just by how he looked. Her immediate conclusion: Idiot.

"Hey!" called Wheatly again. No one seemed to think they should stop him, because the reaction to this new face would be something truly different for her, and as everyone knows, in Aperture Science anything goes as long as it's for the sake of science.

GLaDos chose to actively ignore Wheatly, however, and he didn't seem to get the message. It probably was why he had no girlfriend in the first place. He just couldn't take a hint.

"Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!Hey!" he repeated, over and over. After the second time, GlaDos couldn't take it. She turned her attention to Wheatly and began to protest his presence.

"WHAT?" she yelled at the teenager. "What is it whoeveryouare?" The room seemed to shake from the power of her voice alone. "I don't have time to be talking to you, I'm trying to—"

Wheatly nodded but interrupted her anyway. He was only trying to talk to her, of course, and had no plans of letting her finish a sentence. "Yeah, about that, why don't you just cause the facility to blow up or something?"

This human's common sense appalled her, either he was intentionally making fun of her or just supremely stupid. "That's a terrible idea; I'd be killed as well."

"Ok, then seal off the place and suck out all the air."

GlaDos would have rolled her eyes if she had them."Do you think Aperture Science Labs is really capable of becoming vacuum sealed?" Sarcasm was poured all over her next sentence. "What next, drown everyone in improperly made tapioca, thus poisoning them with cyanide?"

Wheatly looked a bit taken back, then ashamed."...well, never mind then. That was my next idea."

It seems her first assessment was slightly off, but not by much. He wasn't just an idiot. He wasn't just stupid. She knew humans were creatures capable of low intelligence but _this_? This was an impossibility.

"Are you a _complete_ **moron**?"

Immediately he was offended. "I'm not a moron, I'm Wheatly."

"Ugh," said GlaDos, there was probably a place for her less savory than here, but at the moment it was the closest thing to Android Hell she was going to get. Not that it was real of course, merely just a myth created by the scientists to scare her into behaving.

However, Rattman and Flynn were discussing something in hushed voices while Wheatly occupied GlaDos.

"I think we have a way to fix this problem we have," said Flynn to his comrade. For once Rattman agreed with his eccentric boss.


End file.
